Donegal booked their place in the Dr.McKenna Cup Final with a 2-09 to 0-11 win over Derry in MacCumhaill Park.
Goals from Caolan McGonagle and Odhran McFadden Ferry made the difference as Donegal will face Monaghan in the final on Saturday in Omagh
It was a case of Donegal taking their goal chances as they hit double digits for wides, more than Declan Bonner would’ve been happy with.
Donegal were without many of the starting team from the weekend’s game against Down due to the clash with todays Sigerson Cup games but they coped well with plenty of players chomping at the bit to take their chance tonight.
Donegal started strong as Jeaic MacCeallabhuí opened the scoring after a minute.
Jamie Brennan got Donegal’s only other point of the first quarter as Derry got four points without reply.
Enda Downey, making his first start for Derry, scored a free and had another great score a minute later from the right.
Niall Toner evaded Tony McClenaghans tackle to capitalise on a quick counter and Paul Cassidy got the 4th point for Rory Gallaghers side.
Donegal would however go into the water break ahead as a Derry player lost the ball close to his own goal and Caolan McGonagle picked up the ball and slotted into the net easily from close range to make it 1-02 to 0-04.
Both teams exchanged great scores with Oisin McWilliams levelled before McClenaghan, the goal hero from the weekend against Down, got off the mark tonight.
Cassidy quickly replied after a Donegal wide but Declan Bonner’s side got their second goal after some good play.
Jamie Brennan played in Odhran McFadden Ferry who cut in and struck the ball into the near corner leaving the keeper stranded.
Donegal extended their lead through a Michael Langan free and Shane O’Donnell from play as Donegal went into half-time 2-05 to 0-06 up.
The third quarter saw both sides make plenty of changes as Donegal started pulling away. Paddy McBrearty and substitute Michael Murphy scored frees while McGonagle scored from play. Derry got just one point in this spell from Lachlan Murray making it 2-08 to 0-07 at the water break.
Declan Cassidy and McGonagle exchanged two great points within a minute of each other as Donegal refused to let Derry back into the game.
Murray scored a free as Donegal fouled to prevent a Derry goal chance and another mark from Murray left the game with 5 in it with 65 minutes on the clock.
Anton Tohill scored the only other point as Donegal won 2-09 to 0-11 as they sealed their place in the Dr. McKenna Cup Final in Omagh on Saturday.
Donegal:Sean Patton; Mark Curran, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Odhran McFadden Ferry (1-00), Ryan McHugh, Paul Brennan, Tony McClenaghan (0-01); Caolan McGonagle (1-02), Michael Langan (0-01f); Ciaran Thompson, Shane O’Donnell (0-01), Jeaic McCeallabhuí (0-01), Paddy McBrearty (0-01f), Charlie McGuinness, Jamie Brennan (0-01).
Subs: Niall O’Donnell for Jamie Brennan (33 mins), Michael Murphy (0-01f) for Charlie McGuinness (43 mins) Eunan Doherty for Shane O’Donnell (45 mins), Ethan O’Donnell for McClenaghan (50 mins), Brendan McCole for Curran (52 mins), Odhran Doherty for McFadden Ferry (55 mins), Charlie McGuinness for Michael Langan (66 mins), Caolan McColgan for Jeaic MacCeallabhuí (68 mins)
Derry: Conlan Bradley; Shea Downey, Padraig McGrogan, Conor McCloskey, Oisin McWilliams (0-01), Conor Doherty, Michael McEvoy; Gareth McKinless, Anton Tohill(0-01); Benny Herron, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy (0-02), Enda Downey (0-02,1f), Lachlan Murray (0-03,2f), Niall Toner (0-01)
Subs: Emmet Bradley for Enda Downey (15 mins), Jack Doherty and David Cassidy (0-01) for Michael McEvoy and Ciaran McFaul (half time), Padraig Cassidy for McCloskey (45 mins)
